Workshop 3.

Static Mixer

DesignModeler

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Goals Workshop Supplement

• This workshop will take you through the process of creating a geometry in
DesignModeler and using the Automatic meshing method to create a simple
mesh for that geometry.
• The basic steps involved in creating a CFD mesh are:
– 1. Create the Geometry (DesignModeler).
– 2. Define Named Selections for some 2D regions (DesignModeler).
– 3. Create surface and volume mesh (Meshing).
• This workshop is intended to give you a feel for the geometry
and mesh creation process from start to finish. Some of the methods
used and the steps you follow will be discussed and explained
in later lectures.

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Goals… Workshop Supplement

• The geometry you will be creating and meshing is shown below:

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Launch DesignModeler Workshop Supplement

1. Launch ANSYS Workbench

• Start > Programs > ANSYS 12.0
> ANSYS Workbench

2. Launch DesignModeler and start

new geometry
• Double Click “Mesh” under
“Component Systems”
• Right click on the Geometry
box in the Project Schematic
and click on “New
Geometry…”
• Select Meter for length unit,
then click OK

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Geometry Workshop Supplement

You will begin by creating a sketch of the main body profile which you will revolve about
the Y-axis to create the main body of the mixer
3. Modeling: > ZXPlane
– Selecting ZXPlane on the tree displays the sketch plane on the Model View.
4. Click on the Look-At icon to orient the view normal to the plane.
5. Modeling: Sketching tab
– Selecting the Sketching tab after selecting a plane creates a
new sketch and toggles to Sketching mode
6. Sketching: Settings > Grid
– This is a simple geometry characterized by dimensions of
2.0 m, 1.0 m, & 0.5 m. A grid can be displayed and snapped
to simplify the assignment of the proper dimensions.
7. Toggle on Show in 2D and Snap to Grid
8. Click on Major Grid Spacing and set it to 1.0 m
9. Click on Minor-Steps per Major and set it to 2

10. Zoom in on the model view (click and drag with the right mouse button) so that the
area displayed is centered about the origin with six major steps in the x- and z-
directions.
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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Geometry… Workshop Supplement

You will now draw the outline of the main body profile as a closed-ended polyline.
The profile of the polyline is shown below. Its left edge lies on the X-axis. The main
portion is a square with a height and width of two. A tapered section reduces the
width to 0.5 over a vertical distance of 1.0. The 0.5 width is maintained for a vertical
distance of 1.0 and then the profile is closed as shown.

11. Sketching: > Draw > Polyline

– Left-click on the sketch to define each end point of the
various line segments in turn. When you arrive back
at the starting point, right click and select Closed End
from the menu that pops up.

You have now completed Sketch1. You will now

revolve this sketch by 360 degrees about the X-
axis to create the main body of the mixer.

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Geometry… Workshop Supplement

You will revolve Sketch1 by 360 degrees about the X-axis to create the main body of
the mixer.
12. Click on the Revolve icon on the
menu bar to bring up the Details View for
the revolve 3D operation
• The view will switch to the Modeling view
13. In the Details View, the Axis box should
have Apply and Cancel tabs. If these
are shown, left- click on the local Y-axis
(which is aligned with global X-axis) and
then left-click on Apply. If the Axis box,
shows Not Selected, you must left-click
in it first to bring up the Apply/Cancel
tabs.
14. Set the Angle to 360 degrees and leave
the other settings at their default values

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Geometry… Workshop Supplement

15. Click on Generate on the main

toolbar
• You should see the solid geometry created
by revolving Sketch1 through a full circle
about the X-axis

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Geometry… Workshop Supplement

You will now create a new sketch on the Z-X plane to draw the
profile of the first-side pipe. The body you’ve already created may
make it difficult to see the sketch clearly, so you will begin by
hiding this body.
16. In the Tree View, left-click on the + sign next to the last entry
which shows 1 Part, 1 Body to expand it
17. Right click on Solid and select Hide Body
Sketch 2
• The body should disappear from the Model View

18. In the Tree View, left-click on the ZXPlane and then click on the
New Sketch icon to create Sketch2
19. Sketching: > Draw > Circle
20. Click on the Look-At icon to orient the view normal to the ZXPlane
21. Draw a circle centered at (X=1,Z=1) with a radius of 0.5 m. You
can snap to the grid by left-clicking with the mouse.
This completes Sketch2.

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Geometry… Workshop Supplement

You will extrude Sketch2 by 3 m in the direction normal to

the ZXPlane to create the first side pipe.

22. Click on the Extrude icon on the menu bar to

bring up the Details View for the extrude 3D operation.
• The view will switch to the Modeling View
• In the Details view, you can see that Sketch2 is already
selected as the sketch for the extrude operation. By default, if
you click on a 3D operation icon from an active sketch, that
sketch will be selected. This selection can always be edited
before or after you click Generate.
23. Change the Depth in the Details View to 3 m
24. Set the Type to Fixed and the Direction to Normal
• This will extrude Sketch2 3.0 m in the normal direction to
theZXPlane (this is in the Y direction as you can see from the
plane normal vector).
25. Leave all other settings at their default values and click
Generate
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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Geometry… Workshop Supplement

If you look at the Tree View, you will see that you still have 1 part and 1 body. When
you add material to an existing model using a 3D operation such as revolve or extrude,
DesignModeler will, by default, “melt” the solids together to create a single solid. You
can control this by freezing individual solids or using the Add Frozen operation
(discussed later).

26. Select the Solid from the Tree View

• The solid will appear as shown to the right
27. Highlight the ZXPlane in the Tree View and
click on the New Sketch icon.

Next you will draw the circle to define the

second side pipe. Since the two otherwise
identical side pipes are 180 degrees apart,
Sketch3 will just be the mirror image of
Sketch2 relative to the z=0 plane.

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Geometry… Workshop Supplement

Sketch 3
The circle for the second side pipe will also have a radius of
0.5 m, but will be centered at an (X,Z) location of (1,-1)

28. Sketching: > Draw > Circle

29. Click on the Look-At icon to orient the view normal to the
ZXPlane.
30. Draw a circle centered at (X = 1, Z = -1) with a radius of 0.5 m.
You can snap to the grid by left-clicking with the mouse. This
completes Sketch3.
31. Click on the Extrude icon. In the Details View, make sure that
Sketch3 is selected and that the Depth is set to 3 m. Change the
Direction to Reversed. This will extrude the sketch in the direction
opposite to the plane normal (or in the -Y direction). Click
Generate.
32. Right-click on Solid in the Tree View and unhide it (Show Body) to
see the completed geometry.

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Geometry… Workshop Supplement

Now we need to give specific names for some 2D regions so

that later we can use them to create different boundaries.
33. Click Tools > Named Selection
34. In Details View window, set Named Selection to in1. Select the
end surface of side pipe at the +Y location and click Apply in the
Geometry selection in the Details View.
35. Click Generate

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Geometry… Workshop Supplement

36. Repeat the previous three steps to create

Named Selection in2 on the other side pipe
end at –Y location and Named Selection out
on the bottom pipe end at –X location
in1

in2
37. The geometry is now complete. Click on
File>Save Project to save the project files.
Change the folder to your working directory,
set the File name to StaticMixer.wbpj, and
click Save. out

You are now ready to proceed to Meshing.

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Launch Meshing Workshop Supplement

38. Go to the main Workbench window

39. Right click on “Mesh” and click on “Edit…”

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Mesh Workshop Supplement

Workshop 3.3: Static Mixer

40. In the Details of “Mesh” panel, make sure that Physics Preference is set to CFD, and
Relevance Center is set to Medium
41. Right-click Mesh in the Outline tree and select Generate Mesh

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WS3.3: Static Mixer
Create Mesh… Workshop Supplement

• The final mesh is shown as following

42. Click File>Save Project… to save the project file

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